


"Murder," she sang (reworking/redoing!)

by orphan_account



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Death, F/M, Gen, Human AU, Murder, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change?, Sad Noodle Girl isn't getting redeemed this time sorry folks, Steven's gonna need therapy but what else is new, Violence, i swear i don't hate spinel she's usually babie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 17:57:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21462184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Scrapping this first version, and gonna be re-working it as a one/two-shot!Agents Miller, Lazuli, Bismuth, and Barriga of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit are sent out to profile and find a killer in Beach City.Inspired loosely by this fantastic jazz cover ofOther Friends.Will mostly be from Sadie's POV!
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Greg Universe & Steven Universe, Lapis Lazuli & Peridot & Bismuth (Steven Universe), Lars Barriga & Sadie Miller
Comments: 14
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is sort of a human AU-take on the events of the movie, with a... _twist,_ to say the least.  
Small note that my only experience with this kind of topic is from various cop shows (Criminal Minds, mostly) so things might be a lil' rough-

Sadie stares at the newspaper Lars just dropped in front of her, coffee mug still at her lips. The headline makes her blood go cold.

**BEACH CITY HOME INVASION TURNED MURDER, ONLY SURVIVOR HOSPITALIZED**

Lars' eyes are grim, and his tone lacks his usual sarcasm. "They want us on this one. Says we have an edge, since we know the territory."

She sets her coffee down on the table, trying to keep herself from trembling. The break room is silent for a long while, as she scans the rest of the page. Three dead, survivor is a minor—in critical condition, but is expected to recover.

Sadie's voice remains steady, despite her thudding heart. "... Then we better get started."

**X**

The photos on the board don't usually get to her. Sadie had learned to stomach crime scenes, both in person and in images, a long time ago. But... seeing copious blood splatters in that quaint little beach house is making her gut twist. Agent Lazuli doesn't seem too phased, as she pours over her copy of the casefile, but, she's not exactly looking at photos of a house from her old home town.

Anyone would be shaken up by that.

Agent Bismuth is up by the crime scene photos, hands loosely on her hips as she scans the grizzly images. "So what do we know, Peri?"

The tiny blonde woman doesn't look up from her laptop. "The victims were sliced into and stabbed, multiple times, with a sharp object—some kind of knife, or blade—after they'd been secured. They were also strangled in some capacity, but that wasn't the cause of death. Two bled out, while one's throat was sliced. None of this is sloppy, despite appearances."

Bismuth grunts in acknowledgment. "Sounds familiar, don't it Miller?"

Sadie puts her head in her hands, fingers gripping at her hair. "_Ugh_, terribly... mainly because those were the first cases where I actually threw up."

Lars scoffs, leaning on his elbows as he looks over a file. "Don't remind me."

She manages a ghost of a smile for a brief second—leave it to Barriga to lift her spirits, even in the slightest—before she continues. "We never caught anyone, but they were... _practicing_ on similar victims."

Lazuli grimaces. "Perfecting a scenario. This has some serious anger written all over it... but why leave one person alive?"

"Don't know," Bismuth turns toward the group with a sigh. "Nobody's been able to interview the kid yet, so we can only guess, until then. I'm betting it's because he's a minor—none of the other victims from these slash n' strangle cases were under eighteen, right?"

Lars nods. "Yeah. We found five different women, around mid-to-late-twenties. The last two were killed in their own homes. We had a few random victims—homeless people who wouldn't be missed—before the pattern appeared."

Sadie casts a glance at the victims' photos as the others continue talking, her eyes trailing over to the survivor's picture.

_Steven Quartz Universe_.

Sixteen years old.

Witness.


	2. Chapter 2

The drive to the Ocean City Medical is long, but not long enough. Bismuth is at the wheel of their sizeable van, which usually means she'd be pretty quiet. But Lars and Lazuli won't shut up about guesses and theories on the profile, and Bismuth keeps chiming in, so it's really starting to grate at Sadie. Her coffee hasn't kicked in, yet. If it had, she'd be with them, yammering away.

Today is just a slow start, it seems.

She stares into her now empty to-go cup of what _was_ coffee, with a solem frown, not entirely paying attention to what the group is talking about. Sadie tunes in just as Bismuth begins to speak again.

"—First with his hands, then with some kind of rope or a belt, but our unsub doesn't strangle to _kill. _He strangles to subdue victims, so he can tie 'em up easier, but it's also possibly some show of dominance—control. He's probably a white male, physically weaker than most, and might be impotent. That could explain why he would go after young women."

Lars shakes his head, cutting in. "There was never a sexual aspect to _any_ of the previous murders, though. The scenes were just... _buckets_ of blood n' gore. Plus, stabbing and cutting someone takes a lot of energy, so while our guy might not be _big,_ he's probably at least _fit_."

Lazuli gives a thoughtful hum, staring out the passenger window. "So, I like _violence_—but I don't get _off_ on it... hurting people gives me some kind of emotional high, as opposed to a hard-on?"

Lars blinks at his blue-haired cohort, squinting. "That... yeah, I guess, when you put it _that_ bluntly."

Sadie's fingers twitch. "_Well_, once we interview the kid, we'll get a proper description, and his account. Then we can _actually_ start working on a profile."

"That depends on how much he's able to share," Bismuth says. "Our witness is _sixteen._ He's not a _child,_ but he's still going through that crucial developmental phase. He's been through somethin' _nobody_ should have to see, so he might not remember everything."

Lars gives a sigh, scrubbing a hand against his face. "Uck, adults I can handle, but... it's just especially fucked up when kids get involved in this stuff."

A unanimous round of agreement sounds off, and the conversation at last lulls into silence.

**X**

It's loud in the spacious waiting area of the hospital. People are talking, coughing, coming and going, and thank god the coffee has finally decided to wake her up. 

Bismuth flashes her badge at the receptionist nurse. "FBI. Here to see Universe, if he's in any condition to talk."

The woman at the desk has tired eyes, and Sadie can instantly sympathise. "Yes, he's awake. Room two-seventeen—" she leans out, pointing down a hallway. "—It's on the left side. Can't miss it, what with the cops stationed there."

Sadie's heart thuds faster, as they start to walk. This could have happened anywhere else—some awful, twisted part of her _wishes_ this had happened anywhere else, to _any other little boy_.

Lars nudges her out of her thoughts, an elbow prodding her shoulder. "You alright?"

She looks up at him with a light frown. "... Are you?"

He frowns back.

"Barriga, Lazuli," Bismuth glances over toward the two. "You two can talk to the kid's father. Miller and I will talk to the boy..." she looks toward Sadie. "You mentioned you know the Universes?"

Sadie blows out a huffing exhale. "Well, not... _super_ _personally_, per-say. Everyone in Beach City knows Steven, to some extent. When Lars and I worked at the Big Donut in town, he came in all the time," a weak smile creeps across her lips. "He was always just... pure _sunshine._ He's the sweetest kid in the world."

Her smile fades just as quickly, as they round a bend. Two uniformed figures are posted in front of one room further down the hall. Bismuth shows them her badge, when they get close enough, and the two step aside. Sadie's gut tightens, as she follows the older woman through the door, eyes glued to the ponytail of pale dreadlocks flowing down her back.

A heart monitor beeps, steady, rhythmic. Peering past Bismuth reveals a hospital room like any other, occupied by three people. An older man, with long, brown hair, who's balding lightly, and wearing pretty casual clothing, is seated by the window. A teenage girl, with darker skin and short, puffy black hair, is sitting next to the bed. She's also dressed pretty casually.

And lying in the bed, is a face Sadie never wanted to see in a place like this. He's grown a lot since she last saw him, but Steven Universe still has those dark curls, deep brown eyes, and that gentle smile. The boy looks up, a flash of fear in his eyes that vanishes when his gaze meets Sadie's. His smile grows, and his roomates glance up.

His voice strains, but he looks genuinely happy to see her. "Sadie!"

His father perks up as well. "Well, it's been a long time, Miss Miller—or, uh, it's Agent now, right?" he rubs a hand on the back of his head. "S'good to see you again."

Sadie slides past Bismuth, stopping a few feet away from the bed. "It's great to see you again too, Mister Universe—Steven. I just... I just wish I was visiting under better circumstances."

The happy little glimmer in Steven's eyes die away, as his shoulders droop. "Y-Yeah... me too," he looks over to the girl at his bedside, Sadie realizing the two are holding hands.

The girl nods, offering a free hand to shake. "Connie Maheswaran. Steven's mentioned you and Lars quite a few times."

Despite herself, a chuckle manages to slip from Sadie's throat as she returns the handshake. "I know he's only told you good things," she palms to her college. "This is Agent Bismuth. Lars is outside with another one of our Agents, Lazuli. I know it's... still pretty early, but—if you'd be willing, Steven—"

"Y-Yes," the boy interrupts, frowning. "I-I... I wanna talk about... what happened. I wanna make sure she gets caught..."

Sadie jolts, eyes going wide. Bismuth seems just as startled. "Wait, Steven—did you—did you say _she?_"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. This changes quite a few things.


End file.
